


If You’re Here

by FateTrash



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: M/M, Mutual Pining, Somewhat canon?, They're both going to be idiots, Well I guess it's technically post-canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24590980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FateTrash/pseuds/FateTrash
Summary: Kudo Shinichi thought life was back to normal after dealing with the likes of the Black Organisation. But instead a Kaito Kid heist reminded him he still has loose ends to tackle and Shinichi makes it his mission to unmask the phantom thief.
Relationships: Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan & Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid, Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid
Comments: 2
Kudos: 84





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been really slow at writing this idea, hopefully the rest won't take too long. Apologies in advance for lack of proof-reading/beta.

Kudo Shinichi had thought his life would go back to normal. Well, at least as normal as possible for a high school detective with some kind of death magnet that attracted corpses to him wherever he went.

To him, that _had_ been normal though. Before he had been forced to take a drug meant to kill him, and instead turned him into a small child.

Before he’d spent far too long as Edogawa Conan, pretending to be a relative to Kudo Shinichi to keep his friends safe; working towards taking down the ones responsible for his sudden small stature and other dangerous, criminal activities.

But now that was all resolved. The Black Organisation had been destroyed in its entirety. Shinichi had had a lot of help too. His friends. The FBI. The PSB. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police.

All these allies he had made in his time both as Kudo Shinichi and Edogawa Conan. It was only thanks to them that this had been all resolved.

So then why was he currently racing through the hallways of a skyscraper, heart pounding in his chest as the flutter of a white cape dashed around the hallway corner in front of him? Because there was still a loose end he hadn’t solved, one that had been pushed from his mind until an hour ago. Something, or rather someone, who had a habit of disappearing and reappearing when you least expected it.

Kaito 1412. _Kaito KID_.

In all the madness of dealing with the Black Organisation, Kudo Shinichi’s rivalry with the phantom thief hadn’t exactly been a focus for him. A magician thief who stole and returned jewels and precious stones at his own leisure was hardly a top priority at the time.

A thief who refused to allow those involved in his heist to become injured, and in turn was not (usually) attacked with deadly force in kind. Someone who was far, far to clever for their own good; someone who had _his_ face. Because somehow, Kaito Kid did indeed have his facial features...

Shinichi had yet to work that factor out yet. The chances of it were 1 in 1 trillion, according to what he had researched at one point; and yet _somehow_ this thief had beaten the odds. It was frustrating, as it had led to several incidents of Kaito Kid masquerading as Shinichi. Even worse, was that it had been times when he had been still trapped in the body of Edogawa Conan, which made it near-impossible to convince people that it wasn’t the high school detective. Who listened to _children_? Certainly not adults.

Perhaps the only saving grace during those instances was that for the most part ‘Shinichi’ was doing something that was, ultimately, for something good. Kaito Kid wasn’t _evil_ , he was just someone who flagrantly ignored the law and had a habit of making fun of police in the form of heist notices that taunted. Which, when everything was taken at that value, had meant that no, Kaito Kid had not been a priority to him. A show-off, or a murderous organisation? It was clear who had to be dealt with first.

But now that the Black Organisation _was_ dealt with, Shinichi had time to focus on other things. Like the anxious, excited feeling in his chest as he’d gotten a (decidedly late – why hadn’t he gotten it _sooner_ ) text from Inspector Megure about the fact that a Kid heist had been planned that night. The brunette had all but dropped everything and raced out of the Kudo home.

With such short warning, it was a miracle he’d been able to duck next door to speak with Agasa, collecting some new gadgets and waving goodbye before rushing to Beika Station, and then practically dove through the train doors as they closed for the line he needed. He’d then looked over the news reports as they came in, as well as the photo that Megure had sent with the heist note information.

With barely an hour to get to where the heist was planned, Shinichi wasted no time working out the riddle and musing over the target jewel and site; as well as keeping an eye on the news reports popping up on his phone. By the time he had arrived at the destination station and dashed through the ticketing gates, a plan had been formed. He knew the building; he’d been to it a few times before. Which meant while the thief was showboating, Shinichi had time to set up. He affixed the gadgets that Agasa had adjusted for him now that he’d returned to being a high schooler in size, and then had greeted Inspector Nakamori cheerfully; only to be grabbed by the face and cheeks tugged roughly. “Ow ow ow ow!!”

He should’ve expected it and yet was still too late to defend himself from the ‘test’.

“Oh, it really is you huh,” the inspector had replied sheepishly and let Shinichi go. “Can’t be too careful with that damn thief.” Shinichi had gingerly rubbed his aching cheeks, pouting and grumbling. “I get it, Inspector. But a little warning…”

“Nonsense! If there was warning, and you were Kid, there’d be no point!” Nakamori had replied, then turned away as it was nearly time. He had heard that Kudo Shinichi had finally returned from properly being overseas, and that he’d been involved with taking down a large criminal organisation but hadn’t focused too much on the details. He’d hear about it one way or another, and Kaito Kid was a _priority_. “Is that pain in the ass Kogoro going to be here?” The inspector was looking over several feeds of the area, monitoring and keeping an eye out as he spoke. “Kudo?” There was only 10 minutes left before the heist time. Everything and everyone were in position.

But the inspector wouldn’t get a reply as Shinichi had hurried off immediately afterwards. In retrospect, Shinichi knew he should have told the inspector where to look for Kaito Kid’s escape route, but he was still a bit selfish. Not to mention he didn’t want any help; he had wanted to see the phantom thief again in person now that he was himself. They’d tangled once before, in a time that felt like forever ago, but he had been outsmarted then. Not this time. _Not this time_. The thrill of taking him down now had been far too tantalising.

Which was why when Kaito Kid had dashed into the hallway that Shinichi was waiting in, the thief had paused in what appeared to be genuine surprise, before flashing a huge and mischievous grin. “Well well well! If it isn’t the great detective!” Kid had called out, beaming, and rushed towards Shinichi with card gun in hand. “Sorry but I’ve got to run! Things to do, jewels to––woah!”

The snarky comment had been cut off as Shinichi lunged for the magician thief, Kid expertly dodging the grabby hands. Without another word, Kid had legged it down the hallway, the quiet chuckling not going unnoticed by Shinichi. “Bye bye~!” Was yelled out to him as the thief ducked around the corner.

He had cursed in response and bolted after him. The detective felt _rusty_ , considering that this was his first real ‘case’ against Kaito Kid since he’d gotten back to normal. It was almost like he was testing the waters. But it was undeniable the rush of adrenaline he felt now, running through the building with the faint yelling of police and the fluttering cape in front of him as Kudo Shinichi gave chase to the charming jewel thief.

Kaito Kid glanced behind, checking to see if Shinichi was still after him. To think the tiny detective was full-sized again. Was it permanent, or just a fleeting thing like it had been in the past? Oh, he had so, so many questions. If only Shinichi had shown up before the heist.

Kid’s grip tightened on the card gun, heart racing as his feet carried him through his escape route. The shock of seeing Kudo Shinichi in the hallway _waiting_ for him…There was something truly invigorating about it. Kid wished he had done more in retaliation to such a surprise, but instinct had taken over as the other had lunged for him. As if something that simple would catch him. Ha! He had had Nakamori’s entire team try to tackle him unsuccessfully many times, Kid hadn’t even needed to use his gun to escape that little skirmish.

But even better, was the notion that Kudo Shinichi might be around on more heists. It made him far more excited than he cared to admit too. But it was only fair, Kudo Shinichi meant a real _challenge_ , something that Kaito Kid rarely saw. The inspector was a good man, but he just wasn’t on the same level.

“KID!!!!!!”

Ah, speaking of the inspector. Kid chuckled as he burst through doors that lead up to the roof, hearing Nakamori on a loudspeaker below and yelling his usual spiel to surrender. Not that the inspector would be able to see him up here. Kid hummed, holding the jewel up to the sky to inspect it. After all, that was the point of this venture. Finding Pandora, and stopping the group also searching for it. Stopping the group that murdered his father.

Moonlight glittered through the purple, perfectly cut jewel. But it was not Pandora. Which meant Kid would need to return _yet another_ jewel to the inspector later. How troublesome as always.

As though he had forgotten he was being tailed by a detective, Kaito Kid lingered on the rooftop. Sometimes it just felt so fruitless…Frustrating. Was this what his dad had felt, all those years before? Trying to find something that might not even exist, but too dangerous to leave it potentially in the hands of bad people? It just didn’t feel right to risk it, which was why he knew he couldn’t just stop. Shit, why was he thinking about this right now. It was the middle of a heist! He could have an existential crisis once he was home!

Thankfully the thoughts running through his mind had lasted only seconds, not enough for Shinichi to have caught up just yet. Barely.

Kid pressed his belt and the cape turned into his glider. Time to get away from here, feed his birds and then go to bed. The morning would be a new day. Well, that was the plan but the footsteps behind him said otherwise. Uh-oh. Kaito Kid turned slowly; hands raised as Shinichi had finally caught up. The difference in time had only been a minute or two, but to someone whose mind moved that quickly, it had already been forever.

“As sharp as ever, it’s nice to see you back to normal,” Kid said, watching Shinichi walk towards him with that little stun gun watch raised and pointed at him. The thief had noticed that the watch seemed improved, no longer a chunky thing and instead far more suited to the high school detective. “Though for how long? Is it just a fleeting rendezvous, you and I?”

Shinichi’s face scrunched up a little at the choice of words but didn’t back off. “Permanently. Which means your little parade of robbery is short-lived, Kaito Kid,” he replied, slowly inching closer. Shinichi noted the card gun in one hand, and the jewel in the other. As well as the fact that Kid’s glider was ready, and the thief was very close to the edge of the rooftop. “So how about you stop what you’re doing, and we can peacefully go and see Inspector Nakamori.”

Go peacefully? Ha, never. Kaito Kid grinned, moving with his card gun to aim it at Shinichi. A magician’s job was to make the audience watch one hand while he did the trick with the other. To never reveal his secrets. The phantom thief feigned the attack, drawing Shinichi’s eyes to it and moving to block with the stun watch; only to have the jewel tossed at his head from Kaito Kid’s other hand.

The jewel sailed gracefully through the air, a flash of deep purple as the facets caught the shine of the moonlight and landed on the high school detective’s head with a thud. “Ow! Hey you little–“

“See you~!”

Kaito Kid tumbled backwards off the rooftop, grinning as the wind caught his glider and lifted him up into the air. He put his card gun away, feeling pleased. Thanks to Shinichi, he didn’t have to get up early tomorrow to return the jewel. It was a win-win situation if you asked him.

The phantom thief sailed away into the night, leaving Kudo Shinichi alone on the rooftop and rubbing his head. That Kaito Kid was such a…

Shinichi looked out across the night skyline. The excited feeling in his chest remained, though now it had settled comfortably like a cat might on a sunlit couch. The detective had been ‘taking it easy’ so to speak, since returning to life as normal. Catching up on school. Working through Ran being very understandably angry at him once she’d learned the truth about Edogawa Conan. Settling back into his _normal_ life.

But Kaito Kid _wasn’t_ normal. He was that part of his life that was thrilling, dangerous, mischievous. There were no dead bodies, no sobbing family members. Kaito Kid was a clever little shit who did as they pleased in a way that was, generally speaking, harmless. Maybe that was why he was so excited by it. Shinichi could invest in this without the emotional destruction that other cases had. He could have…fun.

He was still going to kick that stupid thief’s ass though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a short work to satisfy some kaishin cravings I had, and instead I'm multiple pages in and haven't gotten too far with the story. 
> 
> Guess I'll be here for the long haul.
> 
> This is by @phantomnexus (twitter), thanks to my partner for letting me post here as always.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies this took forever to be uploaded. Didn't realise it'd been three months. 
> 
> At least this chapter is a bit longer...? I hope you enjoy regardless.

Kuroba Kaito yawned sleepily, bedsheets tangled around his legs as he contemplated whether he could be bothered getting out of bed. His hair was messy, even for him; sticking out at odd angles and squashed down some places in a serious case of bedhead. It was Saturday, so he didn’t _have_ to get out of bed, as long as he didn’t have any visitors...

The brunette glanced at his phone to check the time. 10am. Amazing that Aoko hadn’t come to harass him to get up yet. Not that he’d gotten that much sleep, considering he hadn’t returned home until 4am that morning so, if anything, it was a blessing.

The great detective of the East was back. Kudo Shinichi was _back_. Those thoughts sent a thrill of excitement through him and the smirk crawling on his face spelt nothing but mischief as Kaito rolled onto his stomach and shifted his phone again so he could see more information from the article. He looked over the news, glee thrumming through him at the title.

**_Has the mysterious Kaito Kid has met his match?_ ** _Kudo Shinichi, the famous high school detective, returns from overseas and immediately goes to work facing off against the charming jewel thief._

In normal circumstances Kaito might’ve been disappointed that he wasn’t _quite_ the main spotlight for the day’s headlines but considering what was posted, he couldn’t be too upset. He thought it was hilarious that Shinichi was already getting attention once again; photos of the other splashed across the several news sites’ landing pages and holding onto last night’s jewel with a gloved hand raised.

Kaito could tell what would’ve happened after Kid left. Shinichi would have handed the jewel to Inspector Nakamori after the media had taken as many photos as they could. Nakamori probably tugged on his face more to check it wasn’t actually Kid. Shinichi no doubt would’ve gone on his deduction monologue about how he knew where to find Kid in the building and then would have gone home. Kaito knew the other high schooler was acquainted with multiple divisions so he’ll be contacted again for help the next time a heist was announced; like Conan had been as the ‘Kid Killer’.

It meant the heists would be _fun_.

Kaito had heard rumours about the Black Organisation being felled but hadn’t been able to confirm if Shinichi had been involved at the time. Not to mention the good detective hadn’t seemed to show up on any cases recently. Maybe to get back on track for everyday life? Well, that was probably going to change now, thanks to his surprise ‘debut’. It was Shinichi’s fault for showing up to Kid’s party though. Now the high schooler was well and truly in the spotlight again. Because Kaito Kid was all about being a spotlight. Especially considering one of Kaito’s goals was to lure out the people responsible for his father’s death. The more attention, the better.

If anything, having Shinichi involved would only make things better on that front anyway.

Kaito finally got out of bed, yawning some more as he dragged himself around the house. The doves that Kaito owned and cared for were cooing and puffing quietly from their room; as though they were going to starve. “Okay okay, stop being such drama queens,” the brunette muttered as he fetched a fresh cup of sunflower seeds well as what he normally fed them. An apology for feeding them late, despite there still being food in the bowls. He also cut up a couple of pieces of apple, placing them out for an extra treat/bribe. It seemed enough, as the cooing returned to a gentler sound and the doves happily pecked at their treats.

A small smile on his face, Kaito lightly petting one of the doves as it flew and landed on his shoulder. “Dazzle, you’re going to miss out if you don’t eat.” He got a puffed chest from the dove in reply, before it flew over to the bowls to eat as well.

Content, the high schooler watched them all for a few minutes before finishing other chores like cleaning and then made himself breakfast; his thoughts distracted by the detective’s smug image in his mind from last night. Ah…seeing that smirk in grown up form was so nice.

Breakfast was nothing fancy, he wasn’t that great of a cook, but he could manage. Kaito sat down at his desk with his food, scrolling through more news reports on his phone while quietly opening several pages on jewels that were currently in Japan. Normally he’d wait a week or two for a new heist, but he felt _inspired_. Not to mentioned he’d already been working on a couple of plans already anyway, so it wasn’t really that rushed.

“What to do next…”

That didn’t mean he could just drop everything and go. There were some things to scout, there were some gadgets he might need to get specially set up for various places, etc. On top of that, a riddle for Kudo Shinichi to decipher was already forming in his mind.

Grinning, he closed all his other tabs. He knew what he was doing next. Two days should be more than enough notice, and that would give him at least a day to scope the site out. Guess he was visiting Nakamori’s department today after all. It was just a shame he didn’t know where Shinichi was living at this point, or the magician thief might be tempted to deliver it to the detective personally.

*****

Saturday morning. Shinichi’s ego was mildly bruised by the events of the night prior, and his head may be slightly more bruised from being hit by a priceless jewel. The detective hadn’t stayed up late, only because his mind needed time to think. Needed time to process. A good night’s rest would be a way to begin that process since Kaito Kid had managed to escape. So instead of staying up late, he’d woken at seven in the morning and proceeded to make a coffee.

The fancy coffee maker the detective had bought upon coming home had gotten a lot of use so far, along with the toaster sharing the same countertop space. The thought of trying to make a normal breakfast was simply too much of a time waster. He could obtain carbohydrates far more quickly with toast than any sort of standard, home-cooked meal, and it didn’t require anything other than a plate and a knife for spreading condiments. It was a miracle he ate anything for breakfast at all really.

Shinichi definitely had the thief on his mind as he clasped an espresso-filled mug in his hands. He had been thinking over several aspects of the night on the way home earlier, and since he’d woken. His somewhat restless sleep hadn’t done much to help in the end, so Shinichi was still a bit raw from lack of sleep.

The brunette absent-mindedly chewed on a mouthful of toast as he looked over footage and news from last night; ignoring the headlines and focusing on the visual clues.

There didn’t seem to be anything new, anything to help him work out the motive. It was the same sort of stories when it came to Kaito Kid. Lots of praise, lots of slightly blurry images of him flying away into the night, a few clear shots of him posing for the camera. Always obnoxiously present in that pristine white suit. Ridiculous.

Kaito Kid’s MO was jewels; and that was about it. He wasn’t a serial killer, he had a habit of keeping people safe on heists, and he always returned the stolen jewel. What was the damn motive? Who was he? Why had he disappeared, only to start thieving again recently?

Shinichi knew that Kaito Kid had been around for years, but the thief always looked so young…? Well, when not disguised anyway. How was _that_ possible? Was the whole look of _Kaito Kid_ also a disguise? Was it something that was passed down through generations? This stupid thief left him with a myriad of questions; it was infuriating. It was so unlike any other case, being unable to solve the riddle. To capture the culprit. Which also meant that Shinichi what might indicate the next target.

But now that the other parts of his life were under control, the detective could focus his attention on Kaito Kid. He could untangle this puzzle and finally catch him. He just needed to buckle down and work out everything about him. Work out what makes Kaito Kid tick.

The thought of that made Shinichi smirk, just a little.

Before he could realise, it had been a few hours. His coffee mug had been refilled once already, thankfully he hadn’t done so a third time. The detective stretched, wincing as his back creaked from being hunched over without moving for so long. The time had been spent going over all the heists since Kaito Kid’s reappearance. Shinichi had also started looking into the ones before then, which had reminded him to check the library.

Stiffly, the detective paced along the floor to ceiling bookcases to one that held all of his father’s old case files. Scanning the neat collection of manila folders, he finally spotted something promising. It was labelled 1412.

The folder was thick, so Shinichi pulled it out and placed it on the study desk in the room, sitting down to read. Time for some more research via his dad’s previous input. He should’ve gotten another coffee.

*****

A heist again, so soon? Shinichi couldn’t believe it, was Kaito Kid really so reckless? The detective had received more warning this time thankfully, but it still was surprising. Normally Kid heists weren’t within a few days.

“Reckless? Or…arrogance? Hm…”

Shinichi paced from his spot near the CCTV cameras. He’d already told Nakamori and his team what the heist notice had meant. Everything was set up. He was officially retained to help this time, rather than just showing up out of breath and eager.

The real answer for the heist timing was neither of the things that Shinichi was thinking. But then, it would be impossible to truly guess it.

Two days had been enough time to dissect all of his father’s files, and all the new heists more thoroughly. Shinichi had set up his computer in the library, with some graphs and timelines written up to help him think. He was sure he was close. Shinichi wasn’t about to let Kaito Kid foil him yet again.

But unfortunately for Shinichi’s ego, that was exactly the case. The chase had been short, the detective cornering Kaito Kid on the roof once more. It was just like the other night. The jewel was cheerfully tossed Shinichi’s way and Kid dove over the rooftop.

The only difference was that Shinichi had expected it, catching the jewel in one hand before firing off his stun watch.

“Oof!” Kaito Kid heard it fire, and with the small distance between them, was able to veer to one side and miss being hit; but only barely. A little _too_ close for comfort. “Clever detective,” he murmured, grinning and gliding off into the night.

It was the same situation for the next couple of heists. Close calls, flirting words, no resolution. Kaito Kid’s activity skyrocketed, and the heist notes suddenly became harder to decipher. Shinichi was called in as soon as the notes were delivered because the police genuinely started to struggle with working out the heist locations. It was clear that the thief was challenging Kudo Shinichi to stop him, the occasional direct jab included in the notes that the detective would dismiss from his explanations to Nakamori’s team.

It was frustrating, but Shinichi also found the thrill of it to be invigorating. The back and forth between thief and detective, without anyone getting hurt, was something he couldn’t help but enjoy. Of course, the truest satisfaction would be when he would be able to pin Kid down, cuff them and have answers revealed to them all. To learn who this charming thief really was and the reasoning behind their actions. Because despite all his reading, all his brainstorming, Kudo Shinichi had yet to solve the mystery.

Cutting down the time between the scuffles, cornering Kaito Kid before he can escape onto the roof. This was the sort of progress that Shinichi was making. Closer and closer, the detective chased the thief; like the sun chases the moon through the sky, unrelenting as the seasons pass.

“Kid!”

Kaito grinned as he twisted expertly out of the handcuffs that the rather persistent detective had tried to slip onto his wrist; Shinichi having interrupted his escape with the latest heist target. “My my detective, getting rather bold, aren’t you? I wasn’t even finished getting changed yet.” Kaito Kid winked and bolted for the exit.

Shinichi grit his teeth, charging after the thief as he ducked under a series of pipes and through a door. Not today. Not this time. He was going to catch Kaito Kid tonight!

The detective had also spoken with Agasa every heist since, upgrading his gadgets and adding ones that were tailored to dealing with the Kaito Kid. Two such gadgets would be waiting at the phantom thief’s most likely exit location, which for once was not a rooftop but instead a large communal balcony area two thirds of the way up the building.

His predictions were correct it seemed, as Kid headed down the hallway and turned right. It was the only exit area that way unless Kaito Kid wanted to pry open the elevator doors and use his card gun to make it further up to the roof. That _was_ a possibility but not the best way to escape, so Shinichi doubted it.

Feeling smug, Shinichi ran down the hall and turned right, hot on the phantom thief’s heels.

Kaito Kid huffed quietly, rubbing his wrist as he ran ahead. That had been a little _too_ close for comfort, though he could not deny how fun it had been to see the insulted look in the detective’s eyes as the thief deftly pulled himself free from the handcuffs in a singular, swift movement. Shinichi had been homing in on him every time they clashed, and tonight seemed to be a breaking point. After all, the detective had managed to grab him, place cuffs on him (albeit briefly) and now was so close behind him that he dared not pause to check for fear of being in tackling range.

The phantom thief grinned, adrenaline rushing through him as he spotted the balcony he’d picked out for the evening. It was windy tonight, so he’d had to narrow it down to a single side, or risk having the wind throw him against the building when he left.

Aiming his card gun, Kaito Kid launched the grappling hook attachment to wrap around the door that lead out to the balcony; yanking it so it’d open and at the same time, pressing the trigger to reel himself swiftly towards it. It worked, putting some distance between himself and the good detective.

Victory!

Kaito Kid flew through the doorway, tapping his belt. Glider set, the thief paused as his vision went white and a bang left him disoriented.

Ha. Shinichi had covered his face hurriedly when Kaito Kid ran through the doorway and onto the balcony. The flash bomb he’d set, with a motion activator attached to it, had worked exactly as planned.

Said detective had stolen the trick out of Kaito Kid’s own repertoire of gadgets, having had it used against him when he was still Conan. Now the shoe was on the other foot as the phantom thief was standing, hesitating as he shook his head to clear his vision.

“Give up Kaito Kid, you can’t fly blind,” Shinichi called out, sliding to a halt just behind the other. He grabbed at the thief who reacted by stepping forwards and grabbing out at the handrail; throwing himself into the abyss like a fucking _moron_! The detective opened his mouth in surprise, watching Kaito Kid free fall for a moment before seeming to right himself. No way, he wasn’t going to let the other get away.

Shinichi crouched down and double tapped the outside of his shoes, activating a much-upgraded version of the Kick Shoes. He then pressed a dial on his belt and a soccer ball fell out, expanding to size immediately. Shinichi stepped back, before running forwards to kick, slamming the ball with precision and launching it over the railing and directly towards the escaping thief.

Shit shit shit. Kaito Kid cursed softly, vision still recovering from the surprise attack as he heard an all-too-familiar crackling and whooshing sound rocket towards him. Unsure of which way to dodge, the thief hesitated a moment too long before ducking to the right.

While he did manage to avoid some of the hit; it was strong enough to smash into the edge of the glider’s wing and crumple it. The ball then bounced off with some lost momentum, hitting him square in the side of his knee before disappearing into the street below.

Kaito Kid tumbled through the air, unable to regain control of the glider and barely able to see thanks to that damn detective stealing _his_ trick! Powerless to stop his rather ungraceful descent, the thief crashed through several trees in a small local park nearby, before crumpling to the ground; groaning into the damp grass and definitely unhappy with how inelegant the last thirsty seconds had been.

Thankfully, he was far enough away that it’d take a few moments for the inspector or Kudo Shinichi to catch up, but certainly no where near far enough to lay down and sulk about the incident while catching his breath.

Kudo Shinichi, meanwhile, was in the middle of belaying down the side of the building, using the Elasticity Suspenders he had stashed on the same balcony to hasten his trip back down. He landed on his feet, letting go and jogging towards where he’d spotted Kaito Kid spiralling out of control. The detective felt a twinge of guilt, mostly from the soccer ball actually colliding with the thief, since he hadn’t expected it to ricochet off the glider. But if it meant Kaito Kid was down and out for the count, and therefore caught, then he’d probably be fine with ignoring that feeling for the moment.

Maybe Shinichi would offer an apology about it. Maybe. The high of finally being able to win, to tie off this last thread of the tangled mess that was his life with Conan, to learn about the thief and to finally understand their motives, was far too tantalising to really make him pause and reflect.

But the chance of apology was lost as he arrived at the park, looking around. There was no thief in sight, but Kaito Kid had definitely crashed here since he could see a few shreds of cape that had ripped off and decorated the ground, as well as the damaged tree branches that no doubt helped break the fall.

“Dammit.”

Shinichi ran through the entire area, quickly joined by Nakamori and the others once they caught up, but they couldn’t find him. Even when spreading out and combing the entire area over; Kaito Kid had once again given them the slip. The detective cursed, but at the same time, couldn’t help but be impressed by the thief’s tenacity. He really thought he had him this time.

While he was disappointed, Shinichi also couldn’t help but feel…pleased? Proud? That the thief hadn’t been so easily thwarted. He didn’t understand that, but it was silly to think part of him was happy Kaito Kid had gotten away. It was something to analyse later, after he made his report to Nakamori he supposed.

They left, though the detective did hesitate once to look around again, just in case. Shinichi sighed quietly, walking back to the main area with Nakamori at his side, scolding him that he should be more careful.

It was only as the police and Shinichi left, that Kaito Kid could exhale in relief from his hiding spot. He covered his eyes with one arm, laying atop a café door canopy he had dragged himself onto in his haste. It was one where the roof jutted out a little as well, providing the perfect hiding nook for the phantom thief to cram himself into and wait for everyone to leave.

“That was _too_ close, detective. No fair, that was way too mean,” Kaito Kid whined softly, before waiting another hour until he finally slipped away; limping home to sulk in bed for the rest of the night. This meant _war_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaito is definitely both impressed and annoyed at how clever Shinichi is getting on the heists.
> 
> It'll only get "worse" from here, so good luck Kaito :3c

**Author's Note:**

> This is by @phantomnexus (twitter), thanks to my partner for letting me post here as always.


End file.
